Two members cerclage tool

ABSTRACT

A bone cerclage tool for conformally slidably abut a device circumferentially against a bone, such that unnecessary exposure or stripping of soft tissue away from the bone and/or significant spreading of the incision is minimized. This bone cerclage tool makes very simple to encircle a bone with a suture, wire, cable, band, or device, to secure the bone in place, or perform operations on the bone and/or in the vicinity of the bone. The bone cerclage tool includes two parts, wherein each part comprises a bent tube with a length not sufficient to completely surround the bone. When both parts are coupled together, the cerclage instrument becomes a single tube, allowing the wire to be slid around the bone in a very simple way. After the wire/cable is slid through the tube, the instrument can be disassembled, leaving the wire around the bone ready to be tightened.

CROSS-REFERNCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTINGCOMPACT DISC APPENDIX

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a cerclage tool, and in particularto an instrument used to position a cerclage wire around a bone forfixation of a fracture such that when the instrument is inserted intothe patient, the disruption of surrounding muscle tissue is minimal.

The use of cerclage wires for internal fixation of bone fractures is awell-known technique. Cerclage wiring techniques are frequently usedfollowing reduction for provisional fixation of long bone fractures tostabilize the bone for placement of screws, nails or rods, after whichthe wires are removed. They may also be used for definitive bonefixation, either alone or in combination with other fixation devices.

Cerclage wires are passed around the bone, so as to lie as perpendicularto the long axis of the bone as possible, using a “wire passer”, orcerclage tool, which is an instrument having a shaft with a curved endand an eyelet or notch in the curved end for guiding the wire around thebone. These wire passers are available in different curvature diametersto be used with larger or smaller diameter bones.

Surgical procedures on and in the vicinity of a bone with closelyneighboring nerves, arteries, muscle, ligaments, complicated anatomicalstructures, and delicate areas represent a difficult and time consumingtask for the surgeon.

The difficulty is to perform such procedures accurately, minimizingstress, trauma, risk, and injury to a patient, and with littledifficulty for a surgeon performing such procedures, in as rapid a timeframe as possible.

The orthopedic procedure is as follows: the curved end of the instrumentis positioned around the bone and the wire is inserted into the eyeletso that it can be pulled around the bone as the instrument is withdrawn.After the wire has encircled the bone, the ends are twisted using wiretighteners.

Different surgical tools have heretofore been known. However, none ofthe tools adequately satisfies these aforementioned needs. Differentinstruments have been devised to pass the wire around the bone. Most ofthe surgical tools heretofore known have a handle structure with eithera “C” or “S” shaped portion. Some of these instruments include a hollowor grooved part for guiding the orthopedic wire therethrough after theinstrument is accurately positioned around the bone, as that disclosedin U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,663. Other instruments include an eyelet openingat the free end of the curve through which the wire is threaded duringthe cerclage procedure, as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,606,335and 5,501,688

Most of the cerclage devices in the prior art are designed with acurvature to partially encircle the bone shaft, they are formed fromrigid material and at certain points in their travel around the bone,they can create a lever action which causes pulling of the soft tissueaway from the bone and/or significant spreading of the incision.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,606,335, U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,663 and U.S.Pat. No. 5,501,688 have the problem of requiring significant spreadingof the incision and muscle trauma in order to allow the tip of thedevice to completely travel around the bone so that the tip can beviewed for insertion of the wire into the eyelet.

The cerclage wire passer disclosed in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,810,832 and5,851,209 provides a flexible, retractable tip that curves around andadapts to the bone circumference, apparently solving the problem ofsignificant spreading of the incision and muscle trauma. However, thesedevices has proven itself to be not strong enough to go through the bonesurrounding muscles

U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,337 shows a scissor-like apparatus pretending tominimize the amount of soft tissue which has to be separated from boneto insert a cerclage wire. However, this device does not position thewire around the bone, but trough the bone cortex. It does not performthe same function as that of the present invention and still requirestoo much tissue and muscle trauma

The effectiveness of the cerclage wire has proven itself, but thecerclage procedure itself has proved difficult in many cases. Theheretofore instruments fail to provide an adequate technique andlengthen the overall procedure significantly.

For the foregoing deficiencies in the prior art, a new cerclage wirepasser is needed which takes into consideration the fact that the wiremust be passed around the bone in a simple and reliable manner, withoutspreading the incision or requiring a large incision to provide therange of movement necessary to guide a rigid trip around the bonewithout excessive intrusion, exposure or stripping of the bonesurrounding musculature; and as rapidly as possible by a surgeonperforming such procedures.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide asimple and effective tool and method to pass the wire or cable aroundthe bone without requiring a large incision to provide the range ofmovement necessary to guide the device to conform to the bonecircumference?

Another object of the invention herein is to provide an instrument andmethod wherein the exposure or stripping of the musculature away fromthe bone is minimized.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises two members.Each member having a handle, a central part and a J shaped tube. Whenthe central part of both members is firmly coupled together both Jshaped tubes conform a continuous tube through which a wire, cable, bandor suture can be fed.

The present invention by being an easy and straightforward procedure forthe surgeon makes the cerclage wiring technique simple and fastovercoming one of the most important subject of matter of actualsurgery, time shortening.

By fulfilling the recently mentioned objects, the present invention isextremely helpful to the medical care area.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present inventionwill become apparent from the following detailed description of theinvention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred features of the present invention are disclosed in theaccompanying drawings, wherein similar reference characters denotesimilar elements throughout the several views, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bone cerclage tool according to thepresent invention, wherein the two separate members are not coupled.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a bone cerclage tool according to thepresent invention wherein the two members are firmly coupled together

FIG. 3 is a front view of one isolated member of a bone cerclage toolaccording to the present invention, inserted around a bone.

FIG. 4 is a front view of a bone cerclage tool according to the presentinvention, inserted about a bone, wherein the two parts are coupledtogether, and wherein the wire has been fed through the tube.

FIG. 5 is a front view of a bone cerclage tool according to the presentinvention disassembled to be removed from the patient.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the wire looping the bone after the removal ofthe bone cerclage tool is completed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, a method of cerclage wiring according to the preferredembodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference toFIGS. 1-6.

FIG. 1 shows the preferred embodiment of the bone cerclage tool of thepresent invention, designated generally by the reference number 16. Thewire/cable passer 16 has two members 1,2. Each member includes: a handle3,4 to grip the tool and to firmly couple both members when both handles3,4 are pulled close; a central part 5,6; and a J shaped tube 9,10. Oneof the members 1 of the bone cerclage tool 16, includes a button 7 onits central part 5, while the other member 2 includes a notch 8 in itscentral part 6.

As it is clearly seen in FIG. 2, after both members 1,2 are coupledtogether, J shaped tubes 9,10 conform a continuous tube through which awire 11 cable, band or suture can be fed.

The surgical procedure is described hereinto with reference to FIGS.3-6.

During surgical procedures each member 1,2 of the bone cerclage tool 16is successively inserted close to the bone 12 trough a small skinincision 15, minimally disturbing skin 14 and muscle 13, as best shownin FIG. 3.

FIG. 4 illustrates the bone cerclage tool 16 in its closed position.After both tool members 1,2 are inserted, they are firmly coupledtogether by pulling both handles 3,4 close. The wire 11 can then be fedthrough the continuous tube formed by the two J shaped tubes 9,10 whichnow surround the bone 12.

FIG. 5 shows the cerclage tool 16 partially disassembled for removal,not requiring anything else but a small incision 15 at skin level.

The completed surgical procedure is clearly shown in FIG. 6, wherein thewire 11 is left looping the bone 12, after the bone cerclage tool 16 wasremoved from the patient.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of theinvention, it will be understood that those skilled in the art willthereby be enabled to devise variations and modifications withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of this invention, as defined in theappended claims.

1. A cerclage tool for placement of a wire surrounding a bone forinternal fixation of a bone, wherein the cerclage tool comprises: a) twomembers that can be inserted separately and successively into the softtissues close to the bone; b) wherein both members are provided of abent tube tip; and c) wherein both members can be coupled together afterinsertion, to form a single tube which conforms the bone to be fixed,allowing a wire to be fed through said tube.
 2. A cerclage tool forplacement of a cable surrounding a bone for internal fixation of a bone,wherein the cerclage tool comprises: a) two members that can be insertedseparately and successively into the soft tissues close to the bone; b)wherein both members are provided of a bent tube tip; and c) whereinboth members can be coupled together after insertion, to form a singletube which conforms the bone to be fixed, allowing a cable to be fedthrough said tube.